


Closer

by spookycat



Series: SwanQueen by way of Tegan and Sara songs [2]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Based on a song, F/F, First Time Together, Fluff, Sequel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-08
Updated: 2018-01-23
Packaged: 2019-01-10 11:44:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,334
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12298566
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spookycat/pseuds/spookycat
Summary: Sequel toBoyfriend. We start with Emma's POV of events from that story and then continue to see how the evening progresses for Regina and Emma after their big declaration.Inspired by the sexy, poptastic songCloserby Tegan and Sara.Set after 4A, canon divergent from there.





	1. A little bit closer

They made it the impressive distance from the front door of the Author’s mansion to Regina’s car before self-control was abandoned.

 

The sun was dipping toward the horizon, casting a gorgeous golden hue about the landscape around them. But as pretty as it was, that wasn’t why Regina’s face had a glow about it, Emma decided as she stole a glance. She liked to think it had to do with her.

 

Her hand was still in Regina’s as they approached the passenger’s side of the car. When Regina let go to get the key in the door and unlock it, Emma couldn’t stop herself from putting her hands on Regina’s waist and leaning into her back and finding her neck with her mouth. She could feel Regina shudder against her before she spun on the spot, threw her arms around Emma, and kissed her fiercely. That was how Emma got cactus needles in her ass.

 

After that little mishap, they reluctantly broke apart, Regina snickering and Emma grumbling goodnaturedly. Regina stepped aside to let Emma get into the car. A moment later, to her utter delight and surprise, Emma found Regina straddling her lap, the car door still wide open. Regina put her left hand behind Emma’s shoulder and leaned forward to place the little plant in the back seat with her right before kissing Emma deeply. Emma’s heart rate practically doubled at the feel of Regina pressed against her with their tongues gliding together. When she needed to break for air, she said playfully, “A little impatient, are we?”

 

“Don’t you think we’ve waited long enough?” Regina practically purred before capturing Emma’s lower lip in her teeth. Emma groaned, completely gone, and reached into Regina’s hair for a gentle tug.

 

“God, I love you, I love you,” she mumbled against Regina’s lips, and she felt them turn up into a wide smile in response.

 

“And I love you,” Regina replied, making Emma’s stomach flip-flop. She doubted that would ever get old.

 

Regina kissed Emma sweetly then, and Emma slid her hands into Regina’s coat, desperate to have fewer layers between them. Regina hummed and broke away, sitting back a little.

 

“Good idea,” she said, beginning to wriggle out of her coat. Her left elbow got stuck, though, and in attempt to yank it free, her shoulder collided with Emma’s face.

 

“Oh my god!” Regina exclaimed as Emma yelped, “Ow!”

 

“I am so, so sorry,” Regina breathed, bringing her hand delicately to Emma’s cheek. Emma did her best not to wince as she looked into Regina’s horrified eyes.

 

“It’s okay,” she said and attempted a smile. Regina pursed her lips and ran feather-light fingers over her skin. Emma felt the tingle of magic, and then the pain was gone.

 

“If we keep this up, that skill will come in handy,” Emma joked with a bigger smile.

 

“Yes, well, I think we’ve established we may not be in an ideal setting for... this,” she said, motioning back and forth between them with a finger.

 

Emma smiled softly, took the hand Regina was waving, and kissed it lightly, looking at her with bright eyes. “Then let’s go someplace that is.”


	2. Here come the dreams of you and me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't hate me for the first three words. We'll get back to where we were, I promise!

**Four days earlier...**

 

_What the actual fuck was that?_

 

Emma sat in her car, gripping the ice-cold steering wheel and staring, wide-eyed, into the night. She was so stunned it took her several minutes to realize she hadn’t even started the engine. She hoped Regina hadn’t noticed she was still parked there like some creeper. She hastily started the Bug and drove toward the loft.

 

Had she really talked about nipples? _Oh god. I may have to leave town._

 

But Regina had told her not to be sorry. Could Emma believe her, or was Regina just trying to get her out of there while she still had a shred of dignity? Like the tiniest shred imaginable.

 

She should probably feel guilty that she’d just had an out-loud sex fantasy about someone other than her boyfriend. In the presence of that someone, in fact.

 

But she didn’t.

 

It only proved to her that she really, really couldn’t ignore this anymore. She had been keeping it together for so long, goddammit. Even while she was falling for Regina more and more by the day, she had been the definition of chill.

 

Okay, there had been some flirting. She couldn’t really be blamed for that, though, because Regina just was so fun to be around. (So what if other people were too stubborn to see it? Honestly, David and Snow deserved to have their Jenga set burned to a crisp. They were clearly setting Regina up with the most difficult moves, and “sore loser” was a bit harsh.) Their easy rapport came naturally.

 

Besides, Regina started it with that whole popcorn thing. _Ooh, that popcorn thing. With my fingers and her tongue and that smirk because she_ knew _she was sexy as hell…_ Flirting was Not. Her. Fault.

 

And yeah, she may have been spending more time with Regina and less with Hook, but that was about her committment to finding Regina’s happy ending. Tequila had not been strictly necessary, but hey, that led to a real development about what Regina wanted from the Author. Sure, Emma had desperately wanted to kiss Regina then and tell her that the person who was the absolute best for her was sitting there on that couch. But _she did not_. So chill.

 

Back in the present, Emma managed the short drive home and was parked before she knew it, having been lost in her whirlwind of self-justification.

 

She climbed the stairs and silently opened the loft’s front door (almost -- damn squeaky knob). To her profound relief, the whole place was dark and quiet. She crept upstairs to get ready for bed, knowing full well she wouldn’t sleep for hours.

 

Once she was settled in, her thoughts inevitably drifted back to Regina. _And not even naked Regina_ , she thought, impressed with herself despite it all. She had most likely short-circuited that part of her brain earlier.

 

The slip-up the night of Henry’s adventure in babysitting had been her downfall, she decided. Regina had smiled straight through dinner, which was amazing enough, but then… _then._ Henry had gotten so irritated with them, and Emma had tripped, and Regina Mills had _giggled_ in Emma’s very own home. Her arms were around Emma at the time, in fact. Should Emma mark the date on her calendar, never let Regina live it down for the rest of her life?

 

Then Regina had been in her bedroom (!!!), and Emma had shown her the story Henry wrote. They’d shared one of those moments Emma had always treasured, where she and Regina got to be mothers together, swept up in a mutual love for their son who’d had to grow up too fast. Just like them.

 

The whole thing had felt so much like a date, right? And dates end in kisses; at least good ones do. Well, this had been a great one. So Emma couldn’t help her instinct to just lean in….

 

They had been standing there not saying goodbye, their breath mingling in the small space between them. Emma heard herself say something about doing this again, but just barely. Because she had Regina’s scarf in her fingers, and it was suddenly the silkiest, most heavenly thing she’d ever touched. All she could think was that she didn’t want to let go of this tiny extension of her.

 

Until she looked up, and her heart nearly stopped at the sheer affection brimming from the soft brown eyes gazing back at her.

 

No one had ever looked at Emma with such open adoration. Not anyone from her childhood, when she was a mere pest, or Neal, whose eyes always seemed to be holding something back. Not her parents, with their unintentional neediness. Certainly not Hook, who had the perpetual stare of someone beholding a prized possession.

 

With that look, an intense rush swept through her, spreading warmth in her chest and tingles all the way to her toes. She couldn’t have fought her body’s need to reach for Regina if she tried. So at last, _at last_ , she didn’t.

 

Their kiss (which was actually many kisses) shattered any last bit of pretense into a million pieces, and Emma let herself get completely lost in every exquisitely sensual movement. And forget the scarf; her fingers in Regina’s hair was the silkiest, most heavenly thing she’d ever felt. But the second she sensed hesitance from Regina, she came crashing back to reality. She was so grateful Regina had the presence to provide a moment of closure while she stood there like a useless moron. Had she even said goodnight? God, she hoped she did.

 

Now, in her bed, Emma scrunched her face in regret. She wouldn’t trade that kiss for anything, but she hated that she had ditched her integrity in the process. She had never been a cheater. A thief, sure, and such a skilled liar she’d made a career of it. However, even if her feelings for Hook were middling at best, she shouldn’t have crossed that line.

 

But hadn’t her heart leapt over it weeks (months? years?) ago?

 

Still, she reflected, she had tried to claw her way back, determined to stick it out in the relationship that people seemed to think made sense. Seriously though, why was that again? The guy was almost as murderous and vengeful as Regina, and except for that time in Neverland with her dad, he was kind of sucking at the whole redemption thing. Like Dyson-level sucking. And it was a miracle he didn’t have fleas. (She didn’t want to think about pubic lice. She was straight-up avoiding that situation for as long as possible. She had Googled “how to make a chastity belt.”)

 

In hindsight, the call to Regina for friendly advice was another poor decision. Emma had been dying to talk to her, had missed her acutely from the moment she’d left the loft that night. Before the phone call, Emma had adopted the super-mature strategy of ignoring Regina and focusing on Hook. She planned a date night with him that Sunday. He brought her a puka shell necklace, because apparently her aesthetic screamed spring break 1998. That was the high point of the evening.

 

Monday she’d tested the waters with some harmless texts, and by Tuesday she decided she was capable of being casual with Regina, just to catch up like friends do. That turned out to mean telling her there were legit feelings behind what she’d done, which she was pretty sure was torture for both of them. And Regina, god, Regina was such an _adult_ about it. She was willing to let it go if that’s what Emma decided. If the situation were reversed, Emma would have for sure gone all Julia Roberts in “My Best Friend’s Wedding” and pulled out the old “Choose me, marry me, let me make you happy” line.

 

Ugh, she hoped it never got that far with Hook. She was not above pulling a Julia Roberts in “Runaway Bride.”

 

Emma hadn’t been lying on the phone that night when she’d said she couldn’t stop thinking about Regina. She had always been a fixture in Emma’s mind, even if just sometimes in the background, the way someone you love never leaves you. But since she now knew what it was like to kiss Regina, she was curious -- _oh fine, fixated_ , she admitted to herself -- about what it would be like to do more. It was a pleasant but problematic distraction. She kept missing turns when she was out on patrol. She had missed her own mouth eating cereal.

And then there were the dreams. She’d gotten used to waking up in the morning with her cheeks flushed and a hand between her legs. She estimated that she had imagined no less than 4,000 ways to get Regina underneath her.

 

But she never intended to _say them to her face_. Well, to her front yard while Regina sat next to her.

 

_What the actual fuck?_

 

The whole night had been a roller coaster, but like the best one in the amusement park. Once she had touched Regina’s neck, her hands had practically become possessed. At one point she tried to check herself, but then Regina put a hand on her knee, and _holy shit_. She forgot she wasn’t allowed to do this, forgot where she was, forgot everything except the sensation of Regina Mills’ skin beneath her fingertips. She wanted to memorize every inch.

 

Emma was still drunk on that feeling when she took a seat on the porch. That was the only explanation for what had happened next.

 

The wind briefly picked up, and she began to wonder if this spot was really a practical choice, but then Regina sat next to her, and it was instantly worth it. They sat in silence, and Emma watched as clouds drifted overhead, inching along to clear a path for the moonlight. As it began to spill out into the night, so did her words.

 

She had never said anything remotely close to those things to another person, wasn’t even sure where they came from, but in that moment she couldn’t not say them. She probably should have felt more exposed than she did, but it was Regina. She could bare herself completely to the woman and feel entirely safe. She also knew she could trust Regina to let her know if she went too far. And she finally did, which was probably for the best, because Emma may have felt emboldened by the way the evening had gone, but she wasn’t entirely sure she was ready to describe going down on someone in detail. But she probably would have stumbled through it anyway, given her inability to _shut up_.

 

It was after the moment was over and the adrenaline started to fade that the vulnerability she’d felt immune to earlier began to kick in. And now here she was.

 

She stared at her ceiling and sighed. The crazy part was that, current feelings of self-doubt aside, she had still enjoyed herself. It was a great night. Life-altering, in fact. She wanted to let Regina know. Not that she was gearing up for a major life change -- not yet -- but that she’d loved their time together. She wasn’t sure that had been clear.

 

She picked up her phone from the nightstand and typed a brief message. Regina was probably asleep by now, but at least she would see it in the morning.

 

**Thank you for an amazing night.**

 

She was surprised when she got a reply less than a minute later.

 

_The pleasure was all mine._

 

She felt her cheeks go warm. They were going to be okay. Also, she loved this woman so much. Why had she ever tried to fight it? Just then, her phone buzzed again.

 

_The imagery you provided was rather useful after you left._

 

Emma had to read it three times, mouth agape. All the blood left her head and moved decidedly south. _Daaaaaaamn._

 

She could think of no articulate response, so she went with a more visual option.

 

**< shocked emoji>**

 

A beat passed, then she got her final reply.

 

_Goodnight, Emma._

 

She knew that across Storybrooke, Regina’s grin matched her own.

 

She finally felt at peace enough to sleep. Well, after she took care of one quick thing, anyway.

 


	3. I won't treat you like you're oh so typical

Well, the easy part was done. Breaking it off with Hook was the least difficult thing in the world, now that she was letting her heart speak up. But it had still been a hell of a day.

 

She’d known what she wanted before she and Regina met for brunch on Sunday. But she hadn’t had time to deal with it, because Hook was busy doing god-knows-what on Saturday morning, and she had to work a shift that evening. She had been sitting at her desk doodling little crowns all over a perpetrator intake form when she got Regina’s text about meeting the next day. She didn’t care at all that she was grinning like a teenager when she typed her affirmative reply. Besides, she hadn’t gotten to do a lot of dopey swooning back then, so she was allowed to make up for it now.

 

The next morning, just after her pancakes had arrived, so did Regina’s bombshell. Emma hadn’t been prepared for the declaration. At all. Her initial reaction was not her finest moment — but in her defense, who says “I love you” for the first time when the other person’s mouth is perhaps overly full of delicious potatoes? Regina. Of course Regina.

 

But then Regina was saying these beautiful things about her, and Emma had been so overwhelmed, because despite the incredible amount of love she already felt for this woman, she was suddenly bursting with so much more that she thought she might actually shatter into a million pieces.

 

But then no, Regina was saying things that sounded like she was worried Emma wanted her to be a dirty little affair, and no no no, she thought Emma might want it to end altogether. Emma, dizzy from a swift drop from the elation she had felt seconds ago, managed only to say things that decidedly did not make it better. All she wanted was Regina, but she wanted to be officially done with Hook before she told her. She didn’t know how to get around that.

 

She was also scared out of her fucking mind.

 

This snowball (or maybe it was a popcorn ball?) had made its way down the hill remarkably quickly after getting a little push just a week ago, leaving her no time to build up the courage to dive into a real relationship. She had no doubt about her feelings, but she was far less certain that she wouldn’t ruin it all somehow. And she would be nothing short of devastated if she hurt Regina.

 

All that fear bubbled to the surface when she brilliantly uttered, “I don’t know how to do this.”

 

And of course Regina didn’t understand what she meant. Playing it back in her head later, Emma wanted to kick herself. Regina had put herself out there, done what Emma knew she hated to do — make herself vulnerable — and Emma did nothing to meet her halfway. In fact, Regina somehow found it within her to try and reassure Emma, which… _Jesus, she has the strength and grace of an actual queen, and I probably don’t deserve her._

 

So, despite being incredibly touched by Regina’s advice on how to choose whom to be with, Emma didn’t need it. She had gotten up from the table at Granny’s and headed directly upstairs to show the pirate the plank. Easy.

 

Sunday afternoon, Emma lay in her room, lost in thought as she tossed a ball of socks repeatedly over her head.

 

In theory, it should also be easy to tell Regina how she felt, now that she was free. But what was she going to do, just go over there with flowers and ring the bell? “I’m just a girl, standing in front of a girl, asking her to love her.”

 

(Emma was regretting that, besides the saccharine displays of her parents, her entire concept of romantic love was built around her last foster mom’s VHS collection of Julia Roberts movies.)

 

No, the one thing she knew was that this would be no simple, cookie-cutter profession of love. Emma wanted to treat Regina to something truly unique.

 

She couldn’t get past her intense regret that Regina felt second-rate. How could she possibly convince her that was the last thing she felt? She’d be so proud to be on Regina’s arm for all the world to see.

 

Maybe that was the key. Regina didn’t want to be a secret? Emma could handle that.

 

It dawned on her then that she’d been thinking about it all wrong. She wasn’t the Julia here, Regina was. And Emma could be at least as charming as George Clooney; it was in her genes. With that inspiration, she spent the rest of the night plotting the perfect way to sweep Regina off her feet. Tomorrow, she would assemble her team — Swan’s Eight — to help her pull it off.

 

____________________

 

 

“It’s about time,” Granny said when Emma opened her mouth to speak. Emma looked at her, perplexed, and Granny just raised an eyebrow and grabbed her a root beer from under the counter. Emma had come by on her break to ask a favor and scarf down lunch before heading to see Belle at the library.

 

“My senses may not be as sharp as they used to be, but I can still spot a lovesick fool from 20 yards,” Granny continued. “The mayor may think she has a poker face, but it wasn’t exactly working yesterday. Yours either.” Her mouth twitched with a hint of smugness. She went over to the food window to grab the grilled cheese and fries that had just come up.

 

“Plus the pirate stomped out of here this morning, dragging his grimy-ass bags with him,” she said, placing Emma’s food in front of her. Emma grinned at both Granny’s turn of phrase and her apparent skill of putting in a food order the minute someone approached the diner’s front door.

 

“Okay, well that will help speed this along,” Emma said, reaching for a fry. She met Granny’s now-quizzical look with a mischievous one. “How good are you with a paring knife?”

 

____________________

 

“I had hope for the two of you some time ago,” Belle called over her shoulder as she wound ahead of Emma through the library stacks. Emma was glad to hear the perk in her voice. When she’d walked in moments ago, Belle had looked up from behind the counter and hastily wiped beneath her eye.

 

“What? When?” asked Emma. Was this how every one of these conversations was going to go?

 

“Oh, I don’t know, after Neverland, I guess?” Belle said, coming to a stop and running her finger along the spines on the shelf in front of her. “There was just something there I hadn’t noticed before, and I realized what a lovely little family you could be. But then we all got swept apart, and by the time everyone’s memories were fully restored and Zelena was gone, there was--”

 

“Robin,” Emma finished.

 

“And Hook,” Belle pointed out.

 

“And Hook,” Emma echoed bitterly.

 

“But now that’s all in the past,” Belle hastily went on, “and you both deserve some happiness. Hopefully this will be it.” She smiled as she pulled three books from the shelves. “Now, I don’t know if these are the kind of books I’d expect Regina to read, but they do make a statement.”

 

Emma had admittedly not read them, but after doing some research online, she thought they all sounded kinda good. Plus, she was confident between the subject matter and more importantly the titles, Regina would get the message. “Fingersmith”? It was too easy.

 

“I didn’t really expect you to have all of these on hand,” Emma mused.

 

Belle pointed to a little plaque on the top shelf that looked newer and shinier than most of the other section labels. It read “LGBTQIA.”

 

“I thought we could due to expand our selection,” she said matter-of-factly. “And I’m a sucker for a good romance.”

 

Emma grinned and said, “Thanks, Belle.”

 

“Glad I could be of some help,” she replied.

 

________________________

 

Emma, Snow, and David had been staring at each other across the kitchen table in silence for at least 30 seconds, which was a lot longer than it might sound if you’d just told your parents you were in love with their (albeit former) mortal enemy.

 

“So, yeah…” Emma said, looking down to where she had been nervously picking at her cuticle. She wasn’t waiting for their approval, exactly; she would pursue a relationship with Regina regardless. But it would be really nice to have them on board.

 

“I was hoping you might be able to help me with this scavenger hunt kind of thing? But you guys don’t seem too excited about this, so I’ll just figure something else out.” She went to scoot her chair back, trying to hide her disappointment.

 

“Honey wait, don’t go,” Snow said, sliding her hand across the table to rest on Emma’s. Emma looked up cautiously.

 

“It’s just a lot to process,” David spoke up, meeting Snow’s eyes to see if they were on the same page. She nodded. “Just yesterday when you came home you mentioned you’d just come from Hook’s,” he continued.

 

“Where I broke up with him,” Emma said pointedly.

 

“But you didn’t tell us that,” said Snow just as emphatically. “And you didn’t seem upset or anything. Come to think of it, you seemed happier that I’ve seen you in a while.”

 

Emma made her best “You’re being an idiot, Mom,” face, which she’d learned from Henry.

 

“Okay, so Hook’s out, Regina’s in. Got it,” Snow hurried along.

 

“Do you really?” Emma asked without thinking. She didn’t want to admit she cared this much.

 

David smiled softly at Emma and said, “Yeah, we do.” Snow nodded, her eyes beginning to twinkle. Did they, like, read each other’s minds? How were they so in unison _all the time_?

 

“But you seemed so into the idea of me and Hook,” Emma pointed out in what sounded more like a question than a statement.

 

“Well… I may be a little guilty of wanting you to find True Love as soon as possible,” Snow said. Despite her words, she seemed excited rather than remotely remorseful. “But it’s only because it’s made your father and me so happy. We just want you to have what we do.” David looked at her with a fondness that Emma would have rolled her eyes at if she weren’t currently experiencing similar gooey feelings for a certain someone across town.

 

“I get that, and I’m grateful. But I needed to work this out for myself, and now that I have, I hope you can support it.” Emma shifted her gaze steadily between them.

 

“Of course we can,” Snow squeezed Emma’s hand. “Right, David?”

 

He cleared his throat. “Yeah. I mean yes, of course.” Emma raised an eyebrow and Snow looked at him questioningly.

 

“What?” he asked defensively. “Emma, your happiness means the world to me, I’m just still a little surprised is all. You and Regina haven’t always seen eye to eye. And is she really over Robin?”

 

“Oh David, that was weeks ago,” Snow said, shaking her head as if he were saying the sky was green. “And Regina never loved him anyway.”

 

Now Emma turned her raised eyebrows to Snow, who shrugged with a hint of superiority at being the only one who seemed to have it all figured out. “It was obvious she was trying too hard,” she said lightly. Emma just continued to stare at her, perplexed.

 

Snow sighed and smiled at Emma tenderly. “All of that doesn’t matter now. What’s important is that you’re finally both willing to give it a shot.”

 

“Finally?” Emma said.

 

“Emma, I can count on my fingers the number of times I’ve seen a smile reach your eyes,” Snow said, and Emma’s eyebrows raised slightly as Snow’s own eyes became watery. “Most of them involved Henry.” She paused. “ _All_ of them involved Regina, including just a few minutes ago when you told us about your feelings for her.”

 

“Is this really a crying moment?” Emma cut in.  
  


Snow sniffled and carried on earnestly, ignoring the question. “We may not be the most conventional family, but Regina has been a part of it for some time now. Your relationship will just make it richer with love.”

 

Despite her slight inclination to gag at her mother’s exceptionally sappy statement, Emma couldn’t help but feel the teensiest bit uplifted by said love. A hint of a smile gave her away, and her mother jumped out of her chair to hug her. Her dad grinned, amused by the surprised face his daughter made as his wife smothered her. After a moment of wondering if her internal organs would be crushed by Snow’s impressively strong grip, Emma extracted herself and headed for the door.

 

“I’ll be dropping off a dessert box tomorrow, if you don’t mind waiting here to give it to her,” she looked at Snow. “And same for you at the station,” she said, turning to David. He nodded.

 

“I’d be happy to, sweetheart,” Snow said. Emma smiled and left.

 

__________________________

 

Henry was at the counter talking to Granny when Emma rushed in. Her parents had kept her a little longer than she intended, and to be honest, she may have stalled slightly getting here because she was the most nervous about this conversation. Unlike her parents, she needed Henry’s full consent and enthusiasm to feel the slightest bit okay about moving forward with her plans for a relationship with Regina.

 

Emma plopped onto the stool next to her son. She thought she caught Granny winking conspiratorially at him before moving away; what could that possibly be about? Dismissing the notion, she said, “Hey, kid. Thanks for meeting me.”

 

“Who am I to turn down a shake and fries?” he responded, and Emma rolled her eyes with a smirk, having only offered him a shake when she invited him to meet her here.

 

“So what’s up?” he continued nonchalantly.

 

“Can’t a mother just want to spend time with her son?” she replied, receiving a skeptical look in response. “Fine. How did you become so all-knowing?”

 

“You’re not as enigmatic as you think,” he said as Granny dropped off a plate of fries and two shakes. “I got you your own so you won’t ruin mine with french-fry grease,” he pointed at her shake before popping a fry in his mouth.

 

“One day you’ll see the light,” she said. They shared a grin before she moved on with an uneasy, “So….”

 

“Is this about Mom?” he broke in. She looked at him, wide-eyed.

 

“How did you know?” she asked, taken aback.

 

Henry shrugged. “You’ve been spending a lot of time together.”

 

Oh. Well of course he would have noticed that.

 

“And you’re in love with her, so…” he continued. Emma choked on the chocolatey fry she was chewing. _Why is it always potatoes_ , she wondered, coughing.

 

“Um,” she stuttered dumbly.

 

“Mom, relax. I’m happy for you,” he said with a smile that made him instantly 10 years old again in her eyes. She couldn’t help but return it with a chuckle.

 

“Okay, so tell me Mr. Smartypants, when did you come to this conclusion?” She raised her eyebrows expectantly at him as she took a sip of her shake.

 

“Well, you’ve always liked her, even when you didn’t like her,” he said as if they were all in high school together. “But after Neverland it was clear you were destined to be together.”

 

“Whoa, hey, let’s not go down that road,” she said with her hands up. “Destiny ain’t all it’s cracked up to be.”

 

Henry rolled his eyes dramatically. “ _Fine_. You had the hots for each other.”

 

Emma’s nose wrinkled at hearing her son talk about her that way. “So I’ve been told. It’s not like I came back with ‘I heart Regina’ tattooed across my forehead,” she grumbled.

 

“That would have made it so much easier to get you guys to admit it,” he responded. “Obviously, you’re both too stubborn to take the simple road. Thankfully, Operation Mongoose finally gave me the opportunity I needed.”

 

“Wait, did you make me a target in a secret operation?” Emma narrowed her eyes at him.

 

“You’re welcome,” he said cheekily. She play-punched him in the arm. “So does this mean you got rid of Hook?” he continued.

 

“Yeah… which I worried you’d be disappointed about, by the way,” she said, stealing one of his fries since hers were gone. “You’ve been making some risky moves, if your mom and I were your endgame all along.”

 

He gave her that look she’d learned from him. “Worked, didn’t it?” he retorted, and okay, this smugness was going to have to be addressed at some point. But more important things were at hand at the moment.

 

“ _Anyway_ ,” she went on, “now that Hook and I are over, I’m going to tell your mom how I feel. I’m pretty sure she feels the same way,” she added hastily. He didn’t need to know the details.

 

“She definitely does,” he agreed.

 

“I’m going to need a little favor from you,” she continued. “I’ll explain on the way to the Author’s mansion. There’s something we have to pick up.”

 

________________________

 

The next morning, Emma urgently pulled up to the curb outside the loft. She slammed her car door and ran around to the passenger side to lift the pastry box delicately from the seat. She may be running late, but she couldn’t afford to go dropping the torte all over the sidewalk. She walked carefully up to the loft and let herself in. Snow was playing with Neal in his little swing.

 

“Hi sweetie,” she said brightly. “Are you excited about your big day?”

 

“No time to be right now,” Emma replied, placing the torte in the fridge. “The note’s already on here, so you can just take it out when Dad texts you.” She turned to look frantically around, and her eyes caught sight of Neal’s teddy bear. She grabbed it from the couch and looked it over. It would have to do.

 

“I’m gonna borrow this,” she said, seeing Snow’s confused gaze. “Sorry to rush out, but Dad’s being a pain in the ass at the last minute, and I have to run this back by the station.” She headed for the door.

 

“Oh, he called to tell me,” Snow said cheerfully. “Honestly, I don’t know what he’s being so uptight about. It’s not like he’s never been up for a little law enforcement role play—”

 

“ _Urghhhh_ , bye mom!” Emma shouted as she hurled herself out the door. After this was over, she would need to see if Regina knew a spell to scrub this encounter from her memory.

 

_____________________

 

Emma leaned against her car in the driveway of the Author’s mansion, staring anxiously down the street. It remained frustratingly empty. Her phone buzzed where she was gripping it tightly. She looked down and saw a message from Henry.

 

_Final stage is a go. You ready?_

 

**How did she take the news about the breakup?**

 

_She was shook. <laughing emoji>_

 

**Please don’t say shook**

 

**What did you tell her? I specifically told you not to torture your mother.**

 

Emma looked up at the road again, panic starting to build in her chest. If they didn’t show up soon…

 

_I went easy on her! Just planted the bait, and she took it. Totally smooth._

 

**Good**

 

_She probably thought I didn’t notice how crazy it made her._

 

**Cool. Think you’ll be home soon?**

 

_I thought I was supposed to go to Granny’s._

 

**ARE YOU SERIOUS RIGHT NOW**

 

_Nah, I’m at home. <rofl emoji>_

 

**I SAID NO TORTURE**

 

_You didn’t say you._

 

Emma rolled her eyes, glad for the momentary distraction her son was providing. Better than sitting here cursing her decision to depend on relative strangers as this crucial stage.

 

_Gotta go, Grandma just texted. Mom’s on her way._

 

**Oh god.**

 

_It’s gonna be great, Mom. Go get ready._

 

And as if by magic, Emma suddenly heard tires screeching as a vehicle sped into the driveway. She quickly tapped out her final message.

 

**Thanks kid. Love you.**

 

_Love you too._

 

She shoved her phone in her pocket and jogged toward the Game of Thorns van as Moe French pulled it to a stop. The back doors flew open and a young man and teenage girl hopped out.

 

“I’m sorry Sheriff,” huffed Moe, stepping out of the vehicle. “Never been out this way, and I, uh, got a little turned around.”

 

“Is that what we’re calling falling asleep in the back office?” muttered the girl, earning an elbow jab from the other assistant.

 

“No worries, let’s just get going,” Emma said, walking to the back to grab some flowers. “Come on, I’ll show you where to set up.”

 

___________________

 

Emma stood alone, taking in the beautiful room.

 

She couldn’t believe how many flowers they’d managed to haul in and arrange in twenty minutes, filling the room with an explosion of color. She’d then shooed the trio out with barely a thank you, which she now realized was a mistake, given the sight before her. Maybe she’d have them send themselves flowers to show her gratitude.

 

Emma had just watched the van pull out of the driveway when Henry texted to say Regina was on her way. She’d run inside and back up to the library, pausing to look herself over in a giant mirror in the hallway. She wiped a couple of beads of sweat from her brow and reapplied the lip balm she kept in her pocket.

 

Now, with her heart skipping along impatiently, she waited.

 

The last thing she’d expected when she opened her front door to that little boy in Boston a few short years ago was that he’d take her on a wild adventure, filled with truly unbelievable twists and turns, the most shocking of which was finding out there had been people who cared for her all along. But that, it turned out, was only the beginning. Because along the way, she had discovered she could actually care about other people, too. She could let them in, and cherish them, and they could all be stronger and happier together.

 

And even if that little boy’s belief in her made it all possible, he couldn’t have known he’d also be leading her to the very person who made learning to love worth the effort.

 

Emma smiled to herself at the thought, and then she heard a click. She looked up and held her breath as the door in front of her swung open.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long. Thanks for reading, if you're still with me! Had some bumps along the way, but I'm hoping to be back on track to finish this soon.
> 
> Also, when I wrote this I had completely forgotten about Ocean's Eight (the trailer came out not long after I posted this), which kind of makes the little bit here underwhelming, but oh well.


	4. It's not just all physical

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoooops, I decided to divide the last bit into two chapters. Also, this chapter is Regina's POV again. Hope that's not too jarring, along with the time jumping -- we're now back in the present, post-mansion.

_“I’m utterly and completely yours. I think I always have been.”_

 

Emma’s words from not half an hour ago echoed pleasantly through Regina’s mind as she drove.

 

The ride back into town started off quietly after their brief and injurious encounter in the driveway of the mansion. Regina was still reeling from everything that had just happened. Namely, that Emma had gone to so much trouble to make her feelings known, that those feelings matched Regina’s, and oh yeah, that they had made out a little. It felt surreal.

 

Then Emma did something that surprised her, if only for a second — she reached over and casually laced their fingers together. When Regina snuck a glance to her right, she was struck by the contented grin that met her gaze… and laughter spilled out of her.

 

“What?” Emma said, sounding slightly self-conscious.

 

“It’s just… it’s a little odd. Great, but odd,” Regina added quickly. “I’ve wanted this for quite some time, but now that we’re actually here, like this,” she squeezed Emma’s hand, “I can’t help but remember how we started out.” Regina paused in reflection. “I would have called anyone a fool for telling me I’d ever be holding hands in a car like a lovesick idiot, especially with you of all people.”

 

“You really know how to sweet talk a lady,” Emma’s grin widened.

 

“Yes, well, it’s something new I’m trying,” Regina smirked in reply. With her eyes on the road, she could still see Emma’s knee bouncing out of the corner of her eye. It was the kind of thing that Regina would normally snap at someone for, but in this case it just amused her.

“You’re quite fidgety,” she noted wryly. “Feeling a little wound up?”

“Yeah, I am,” was Emma’s reply. “It’s been a long day! Do you have any idea how much running around I’ve had to do?”

“I do, actually,” Regina said, unable to hold back a smile as her heart warmed at the thought.

“Oh, right,” Emma shook her head with a laugh. “So then maybe you get what it’s like to spend hours building up to something you hope will be amazing, and then it finally happens, and it _is_ amazing, and… there’s just a lot of adrenaline, you know?”

 

“Indeed,” Regina agreed. Hopefully Emma wasn’t focusing on how clammy her hand was. She couldn’t seem to calm down, even now that the big moment had come and gone.

 

But had it really, or was it what they were headed into when they got to her house? As Regina pulled onto her street, she was taken by surprise as a tiny feeling of doubt crept up on her, and she found herself wishing the car ride could take a little longer. _Seriously?_ she berated herself. _You could barely keep it in your pants ten minutes ago._

 

When they pulled to a stop in her driveway, she turned off the ignition and took a deep breath before looking at Emma. She regretted the subtle waver in her voice as she said, “Shall we?”

 

Regina could see the brightness in Emma’s eyes even in the hazy light of dusk as she simply nodded with a small smile.

 

The walk to the front door was a blur, and suddenly Regina was fiddling with her keys, failing to pull off the simple task of unlocking it. She got it after a few interminable seconds, hoping Emma hadn’t noticed how she’d faltered.

 

The second Regina closed the door behind them, she turned to move further into the foyer and instead found herself pressed gently against the front door with Emma’s hands cupping her jaw and lips caressing hers. It was reminiscent of their first kiss, heated yet sweet and slow. Uneasiness momentarily forgotten, Regina sank into it, sliding her hands beneath Emma’s jacket and sighing contentedly.

 

Emma responded by deepening the kiss and weaving a hand gently through Regina’s hair. After another moment in which Regina had begun to nibble on her lower lip, Emma tucked her thumbs into the lapels of Regina’s coat and slid it off her shoulders. They managed to maintain their kiss while Regina slipped the rest of the way out of it, but when Emma went to toss it aside onto the floor, Regina broke contact and raised a questioning eyebrow.

 

“I’ll just, uh…” Emma grinned sheepishly and moved toward the coat closet. Regina nodded approvingly as she first hung up Regina’s coat and then her own jacket. The moment having ended, Regina took the opportunity to lead them up out of the entryway, but stopped when she realized that placed them in front of the stairs to the second floor. Where her room was. The one that had a bed in it. A knot instantly formed in her stomach.

 

She veered off toward her study instead, shaking her head at herself the whole while.

 

Emma followed her, seemingly unbothered. “In the mood for a drink?” she asked.

 

Regina let out a breath she wasn’t aware she was holding and said in a rush, “That would be lovely.”

 

Emma looked at her curiously for a second, then her lips curved into a smile as she asked, “What’s your poison?”

 

Regina’s mouth twisted as she tried to keep a straight face. At least Emma could be counted on to ease the tension.

 

“I believe you’re already familiar with that, dear,” she answered wickedly, willing her usual, confident self back to the forefront of her mind to get rid of the simpering imbecile threatening to take up residence. “But in this case, Scotch will do.” Maybe a little liquid courage would get the job done.

 

Emma poured two drinks and brought them to where Regina had seated herself on the sofa. Regina took a careful sip and felt the pleasant burn as it made its way down. Yes, just enough to relax, but not so much that she wouldn’t have her senses about her. She may be inexplicably nervous, but she absolutely wanted to be present for whatever happened next.

 

Emma continued to look at Regina with a keen but caring interest as they sat in silence with their drinks. She pulled off her boots and curled her feet under her on the couch near Regina, allowing her some space.

 

After another small sip, Regina glanced up to find clear green eyes looking back at her with a hint of concern.

 

“I know,” Regina blurted out. “I’m being an idiot.”

 

“What?” Emma replied with a more openly questioning expression. “Regina, what are you talking about?” She turned to face Regina full-on, her legs now lightly touching Regina’s. “Also, that’s my title. You can’t have it.”

 

Regina didn’t quite smile, but her eyes brightened a little.

 

“I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I thought when we got here, we’d be engaged in...” she cleared her throat, “other things by now.”

 

“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t also sort of expecting that,” Emma admitted with a shrug. “But if that’s not what you’re feeling right now, that’s okay, too.” She reached over and hooked her pinky with Regina’s. “You’re allowed to change your mind.”

 

“But I haven’t changed it!” Regina looked earnestly at Emma. “I want you, Emma, believe me.” She let out a frustrated sigh. “It’s as if this wall just went up, and I can’t seem to break through it at the moment.” Her eyes cast downward in shame as she turned Emma’s hand over in hers and absently traced random designs lightly on her palm.

 

Emma reached down and stilled Regina's hands, taking them in her own. After a moment, Regina leaned forward and placed their foreheads together. Emma smiled and brushed a hand through Regina’s hair, letting her fingers linger gently at the tips of a strand before returning to her lap.

 

“We’ve never done this either,” she pointed out. “I really like this.”

 

Regina’s eyes became watery as they met Emma’s. “Me too,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. After another beat, she leaned into Emma’s space, wrapping her arms around her neck in what was… _Really? Is this our first hug?_

 

Emma carefully stretched her legs out so that Regina could lay on top of her, which she happily did. This was impossibly comfortable for two people who normally didn’t do physical affection with each other. Well, until…

 

“It is pretty silly, though. You’ve already had your hands all over me,” Regina mused. Emma let out a soft “hm,” and Regina looked up from her resting place on Emma’s chest in time to catch Emma grinning at the memory. Regina pursed her lips fondly.

 

“And… you did practically fuck me with that little speech of yours on my front porch,” she continued. Emma’s eyebrows rose a little but she remained quiet. “And I liked it. I wished it were real.”

 

“It will be. That’s a promise.” Emma said. “When you’re ready.”

 

“That makes me sound like some blushing virgin,” Regina huffed. “Which I very much am not,” she added with a raised eyebrow, leaning down slowly to take Emma’s lower lip in her teeth before soothing it with a tender kiss. She felt Emma tense beneath her as she seemed to be trying to keep her hips in check. Regina’s stomach stirred in response.

 

Then Emma pulled back slightly and said, “I never said you were. But maybe…” She paused, thoughtfully. “You know I was with Neal when I was young and kind of stupid. And then there were some… others. Flings, basically. Encounters.”

 

Regina raised an eyebrow, trying to see where this was going.

 

“Then there was Walsh,” she said, making a face. “That was unfortunate, in more ways that one.” Regina chuckled. “But now that I think about it… there’s never really been anyone that special. Definitely no one I cherished the way I do you.”

 

Ah. “And I’m the same way,” Regina concluded, receiving a nod from Emma.

 

“I mean, I don’t want to make any assumptions. I don’t know about everyone,” she said.

 

“Honestly, you do,” Regina said. “And your intuition is correct. In fact,” she added carefully, not wanting to delve too deeply into unpleasant memories, “I’d dare say my entire sexual history has been more or less devoid of any real emotion.”

 

Regina hated seeing what almost looked like pity in Emma’s expression.

 

“Some of it was fine,” she mumbled, attempting to save face. “I liked Graham well enough, but that whole experience was fairly empty, almost numb. And you know how I felt about Robin.”

 

Emma nodded. Once again, Regina found herself sharing more with this woman than she’d ever uttered aloud to anyone — hell, she’d never really admitted this much to herself. Yet she felt completely safe.

 

“So we’re basically in new territory here,” Emma said, running her fingers tenderly up Regina’s back. "Not to sound too cheesy," she said, and was that a blush rising in her cheeks? “But we’ll both be doing the whole 'making love' thing for the first time. It’s kind of heavy. Maybe that’s why you're feeling so tense all of a sudden.” She looked down, seemingly embarrassed.

 

Regina's heart swelled from the reassurance and affection she found in Emma’s words. She could practically feel her protective walls tumbling down, and she hadn't even known she could feel more free than she already did with Emma. “I love you,” she said simply. The smile Emma gave her was nothing short of breathtaking. “And thank you. Sounds like you could give Archie a run for his money," she added, squeezing Emma's arm lightly.

 

“A little time on the couch can do wonders,” Emma replied, then closed her eyes and pressed her lips into a line upon realizing what she’d said.

 

“Is that so?” Regina poked her in the ribs, making her twitch with a giggle.

 

“Dirty mind,” Emma accused. “Who knew?”

 

“I have lots of little secrets,” Regina answered with a smile.

 

“Not for long, if I’m lucky,” Emma said before reaching up to kiss her lightly. She began to pull away, but Regina leaned in with renewed enthusiasm. She ran her tongue along Emma’s bottom lip, to which Emma quickly responded, allowing her entrance. This time, as Regina brushed her tongue along Emma’s, she felt a definite buck of hips beneath her. She stuck a knee between Emma’s thighs and applied a little pressure, smiling against her lips when she received a moan in response. Regina’s heartbeat quickened as nails raked down her back over her shirt, then fingers crept underneath the hem and caressed her ribs.

 

“Okay so far?” Emma breathed.

 

“Mmhmm,” Regina hummed, kissing along Emma’s jaw and over to suck lightly on her earlobe. Emma hissed a sharp breath inward and moved a hand down to grab Regina’s ass, the other still gripping her waist.

 

Then Regina heard a distinct rumbling that gave her pause. She pulled back a touch to look at Emma as a second growl emitted from somewhere below her.

 

Emma’s cheeks flushed. “It’s fine, it’s fine,” she muttered, capturing Regina’s lips again. Regina had no problem with this, given the heat that had been building in her lower abdomen. It was Emma’s turn to move along Regina’s jaw and begin kissing at her pulse point. Regina felt a little nip and chuckled deep in her throat, applying pressure again with her thigh in response. Emma gasped, and Regina couldn’t help but grind herself into Emma’s hip.

 

“Still good?” Emma panted, locking desire-filled eyes with Regina.

 

“Good,” Regina agreed breathlessly, rocking again and scraping her nails down Emma’s sternum, landing on her stomach. Which, as if on cue, vibrated beneath her palm for several seconds, accompanied by another loud grumble.

 

“Are _you_ good?” Regina sat back and quirked an eyebrow at Emma.

 

“Um…” Emma suddenly looked positively agonized with indecision.

 

One corner of Regina’s mouth quirked up with a meaningful look. “Because if you want to, I could eat…” she said slowly.

 

Emma’s eyebrows nearly hit her hairline. “Wow,” she exhaled roughly. “That escalated quickly, but okay….”

 

Regina howled with laughter and hit Emma lightly with a pillow. “Food, Emma. I could eat food. Dirty mind, indeed.” And with that, she got up and headed to the kitchen with a slight strut in her step, leaving a gaping Emma on the couch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realize this veered off a little from what may have been expected, but it’s just where my brain went, and it ended up feeling kind of important to me. I’m sorry if it’s a disappointment, but there’s more to come that will hopefully round things out in a way you like. Thanks as always for reading.
> 
> Update: I'm chipping away at the last chapter. Got sick and am now behind on everything in life, but I'll have it up ASAP.


	5. Here comes the heat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we're changing POV again! That's just what's happening with this one, I guess.
> 
> TW: Brief hint of past non-con.

Dinner consisted of laughs over leftovers. Regina would have cooked, but Emma was able to talk her out of it with a brief but searing kiss against the kitchen island, full of promise of what was to come. “You can cook me a fancy dinner for our first real date,” she said, her breath hot in Regina’s ear.

 

“Mmm, how generous and romantic of me,” Regina replied, sliding her hands into Emma’s back pockets and tugging her closer.

 

“I know, I don’t know why you insist on spoiling me, but I won’t argue,” Emma grinned against her lips. “But that’s for later. Right now, I don’t think I can wait for anything that will take longer than a couple minutes in the microwave.”

 

Regina looked at her suspiciously. “Did you skip lunch?  


Emma’s sheepish face spoke volumes. “Maybe,” she shrugged. “But I did have a Snickers for elevenses,” she added, taking offense when Regina rolled her eyes.

 

“Okay, you’ve just earned yourself some vegetables.” Emma made a face in exaggerated disgust as Regina gently pushed her aside and began pulling items from the fridge. In the time it took to reheat some pasta, Regina managed to throw together a salad even Emma grudgingly admitted looked pretty good.

 

They each had a glass of red wine as they ate and chatted about nothing important, content to let conversation flow, primarily based on whatever random thought Emma had while carefully twirling her linguini. She found herself making a significant attempt at keeping her table manners in check, not wanting Regina to immediately regret her decision because of a poorly timed slurp of pasta. She probably had nothing to worry about, though, not when Regina was looking at her that way across the table. Henry was the only other recipient of that particular megawatt smile.

 

It was easy and nice and what had become so _them_. But there was also a distinct, exhilarating tension in the air that indicated neither woman ever completely lost track of where the night was leading. Where Emma had previously felt frenzied adrenaline, she now enjoyed a pleasant thrum of electricity coursing through her veins.

 

“More wine?” Regina reached past empty plates for the bottle that sat in front of them on the table.

 

Emma reached out, took Regina’s hand from the bottle, and slowly brought it to her lips, brushing feather-light kisses across each knuckle before saying, “I’m good, thanks.” She lifted her eyes to find Regina watching her intently. She turned Regina’s hand over and allowed her breath to linger over the delicate skin of Regina’s wrist before placing her lips there. She wasn’t sure if she was successfully able to hide the rush she got from the subtle scent of apples and spice ( _of course_ ) and slightly salty taste she encountered, but she tried to play it cool. “You?” she asked, before another leisurely kiss.

 

If Emma had expected a swoon or stammer for her efforts, she would have been sorely disappointed. Instead, the silent acceptance of a challenge gleamed in the eyes staring back at her, just as Emma hoped it would. It was that fiery gaze, the slight quirk of those dark, full lips that first captivated her all those years ago. She lived for these little dances.

 

Regina delicately but pointedly extracted her hand from Emma’s grasp and reached for the bottle again. Though Emma didn’t show it, she was a little surprised, thinking they’d accelerate to the bedroom from here, not linger over drinks.

 

“Oh, I’m always up for more when I find something particularly delicious,” Regina purred. She pulled the bottle closer to her, and the next thing Emma knew, Regina’s lips were on the mouth of the bottle and she was tipping it back for a small swig. The boldness was typical Regina, yet the act was otherwise so unlike her that Emma was captivated. A drop or two lingered on Regina’s lips, and _she did that on purpose_ , Emma thought as she watched her sweep her tongue across to capture them, then catch her lower lip between her teeth. Her sultry gaze never left Emma’s. _Goddammit, I never had a chance_.

 

Emma was out of her chair in an instant, cupping Regina’s face and kissing her soundly, not caring at all that she’d lost their little standoff so quickly. Regina didn’t even rise from her chair before Emma felt the familiar swirl of magic around her. Breaking the kiss, she found herself standing in the soft lamplight of what must be Regina’s bedroom.

 

“Good call,” Emma said on a breath before going right back to where she had been, enjoying the taste of wine on Regina’s tongue and the fingers bunching her sweater.

 

Emma _wanted_ , felt it in every cell of her body. Lips firmly in place, she wrapped one arm around Regina’s shoulders, clutched at her back with the other, and just reveled in the feel of this woman’s body against hers. Somehow she wanted her even nearer, but that was probably how it would always be with Regina.

 

She felt Regina’s hand dip inside the back of her jeans and underwear, fingers splayed as they slid across her ass. She didn’t even try to hold back the moan that rose up from her throat at the contact. She couldn’t remember ever being turned on this much this quickly — her knees were practically buckling with need  — and no one was even naked yet. Regina’s hand continued its exploration upward and underneath her sweater, fingernails raking not-entirely-gently along her spine, and _yes, fuck yes_.

 

Did she say that out loud? She truly wasn’t sure because her brain was overwhelmed with _ReginaReginaRegina._ Wait, maybe _that_ was what she said?

 

“What was that, dear?” Regina asked in her mockingly innocent voice that meant so much trouble. Fingernails ran down her back again and Emma swallowed.

 

“You… you...” Emma uttered, and maybe she should step back to calm herself just a bit. She didn’t want to be so… well, high on Regina that she didn't register every moment of this.

 

“Yes,” Regina smiled at her with no hint of the seductive games or predatory hunger of moments ago. Only radiance. “And you.”

 

_Done for._

 

Emma put her forehead against Regina’s and clasped their hands together at their sides. She’d never known, or even thought she would know, how a love like this felt. It was like being in a completely new place but already knowing she was home. It was feeling entirely calm even as her heart thundered in her chest.

 

Emma tilted her chin forward to brush a soft kiss to Regina’s lips before taking Regina’s hands and guiding them to the hem of her sweater. Taking the cue, Regina tugged the garment up over her head. Emma held in a laugh as Regina abandoned her previous standards and tossed the sweater in the general direction of a chair in the corner. (Emma would’ve gladly been patient enough for her to fold it and place it neatly on the dresser. Maybe. Possibly. Probably not.)

 

With a small, tentative smile Emma stepped around to find the zipper of Regina’s dress. But she noticed Regina’s hands twitch, and one of them bobbed up to Emma’s wrist, lowering again without actually making contact, as if Regina were second-guessing herself. But she did clear her throat ever so softly.

 

Emma immediately looked around to Regina’s face, where she saw eyes cast downward and a slight crease between them. “Is this okay?” Emma asked, voice full of concern.

 

“Yes! It’s not you. It’s just...” Regina sighed a quick, frustrated breath. Emma’s hands dropped to her sides. Regina brought her eyes back up to Emma’s and said, “A quirk of mine. I need to do it myself. Take my own clothes off.” She shrugged slightly in an attempt at casual that didn’t quite reach her eyes.

 

“Of course, whatever you need,” Emma responded. She knew it wasn’t about Regina not trusting her. Later, she would seethe and swear and scream about who Regina couldn’t trust that made her feel this way. But in this moment, she just did her best to let Regina see reassurance in her eyes.

 

Regina gave a slight nod and a faint smile tinged with relief, and reached around to begin unzipping her dress. Not wanting her to feel on display, Emma’s eyes drifted left toward the wall until she felt Regina’s fingers on her jaw, pulling her focus back to tender eyes.

 

“It’s okay,” Regina said. “This is one hundred percent okay. I want you to be here with me.”

 

Emma nodded and Regina finished unzipping, letting the dress slip down to the floor and stepping out of it. She kicked it to the side, her shoes following after. Emma’s breath caught at the sight of the woman before her, whose face was so achingly beautiful and open in this moment.

 

Everything. Regina was giving her everything, and Emma could only hope she was worthy of it. She wanted to be. Regina made her feel like she could be.

 

So maybe she got a little lost in her intent adoration, because eventually Regina cleared her throat and raised an eyebrow. “As much as I appreciate what those jeans do for you,” she said, “I think I’d enjoy them more if they were on my floor at some point in the near future.”

 

Emma narrowly avoided tripping and breaking probably all her limbs (not to mention bruising her ego) in her rush to free herself of boots, socks, and pants, grinning all the while. She could just feel Regina rolling her eyes, and when Emma glanced at her, Regina failed to hide her amused smirk in time.

 

At last she was standing upright again, now sporting only her favorite black-and-gray striped bra and cheeky undies, and Regina greeted her with a genuine smile. “Better,” she murmured, and reached up to push hair back from Emma’s face before stepping into her and capturing her mouth with her own. Emma’s heart rate picked up again, because honestly she still wasn’t used to getting to kiss Regina; she was so wrapped up in it that she almost missed being delicately moved backward. She let out a little “mmph” when her legs hit the bed and felt Regina’s lips curl up against her mouth.

 

It was only then that Emma registered the feel of skin. Lots and lots of soft, warm skin as they were pressed together from chest to thigh. Regina’s hands were on her upper arms, guiding her to lie back on the bed, but Emma, in a misguided fight not to lose this new and precious contact, wrapped her arms around Regina and brought them both tumbling onto… some kind of cloud?

 

“Whoa, did you magic your bed into being this soft?” Emma asked, staring up into Regina’s eyes as she brushed her hair back out of her face, having just been unceremoniously flopped onto her stomach.

 

“Are you seriously asking me that right now?” Regina replied, but there was no irritation there, only fondness.

 

“Good point,” Emma grinned, wriggling up toward the headboard and pulling Regina with her.

 

Regina settled on top of her, wasting no time to get her hands in Emma’s hair and tongue exploring her mouth, and Emma matched her, nibbling on her scar and reaching down to caress her irresistible ass. Regina let out a kind of growl of approval, moving to kiss along Emma’s neck in the process, and just knowing she was the one to elicit that sound was almost enough to send Emma over the edge. She squeezed a little more firmly, and Regina began to rock her hips forward. Emma bent a knee up slightly between her thighs, and Regina moaned at the contact, pressing firmly into her. Emma let out a groan of her own when she felt moist heat make contact with her thigh for the first time. She grabbed Regina’s face and crashed it back to her own, desperate for more, more, more of this woman.

 

During their next reluctant break for air, Emma took the opportunity to roll Regina over. Regina let out a frustrated and decidedly unrefined whine, but Emma soothed her with a languid, wet kiss and settled her thigh back between Regina’s legs, applying a bit of pressure. Regina hummed loudly into her mouth, and _Jesus_ , Emma was already in love with how vocal she was.

 

Then she felt fingers creep up her sides and stop for a second at her ribs before a thumb slid slowly over the cup of her bra.

 

“Mmmm,” Emma hummed, going back in for another kiss as Regina’s other hand came up and she cupped both Emma’s breasts, squeezing gently. Her right thumb found a nipple and brushed it through the fabric, and Emma let out a breathy, “Ah-ahhh.” Her sensitivity was apparently cranked up more than usual.

 

“Emma,” Regina said softly. She brushed Emma’s nipple again, and Emma reflexively ground her hips into Regina’s thigh. “I want to feel you.”

 

“Yes,” Emma said, “please do.” She kissed along Regina’s jaw, down her neck to her collarbone.

 

“I mean, I want to feel you like in your fantasy,” Regina said, and when Emma looked into her eyes, she was struck by the wonder there. She leaned down and kissed Regina tenderly, and felt the softest touch of fingers caressing her back in return. Then she sat back on her heels, careful not to crush Regina’s leg, and reached back to unfasten her bra. It slipped off her shoulders and joined what was undoubtedly the biggest pile of clothes ever to grace Regina’s floor.

 

Regina hadn’t really slowed their momentum when Emma undressed to just her underwear, but she seemed a little more overcome now that she had a topless woman astride her. Thankfully, Emma wasn’t shy about her body; she simply watched as Regina took in the sight of her. Regina’s face seemed to shift from lust to awe and back again, all of which Emma felt deep in her belly.

 

After a moment, Regina sat up and swiftly removed her own bra. With no trace of self-consciousness in her eyes, only warmth and light, her lips curled up into an easy smile that nearly broke Emma in two.

 

And was there supposed to be this much smiling during sex? Emma hadn’t even been sure there was supposed to be this much smiling in _life_ , and she suspected Regina could relate. So _hell yes_ , they’d earned the right to grin all they fucking wanted to. It was just another sign of how very right this was.

 

Regina leaned back into the pillows, and Emma followed after her, feeling an almost magnetic pull to keep their bodies together. She carefully positioned herself to hover over Regina, and when their breasts finally made delicate contact, a mutual breath escaped them. Emma rocked back and forth gently, teasing their nipples against each other. “Like velvet,” she whispered.

 

“Exquisite,” Regina whispered back, her eyes slipping shut. Emma lowered herself further so she could pepper Regina’s face with kisses. When Regina’s eyes fluttered open again to meet hers, Emma caught a tear leaking out and sliding down to the pillow, but the accompanying smile said not to be worried. She propped herself up so she had a free hand to wipe it away.

 

“I love you so much,” Regina said softly.

 

“I love you, too,” Emma answered. “You feel so amazing, Regina. I can’t tell you how much I’ve wanted this, how much I want you.”

 

Regina’s eyes sparkled. “Then take me, Savior.” Regina’s words shot straight to Emma’s center, and her lips captured Regina’s hungrily. Based on how crazy Regina could make her with her teeth and tongue just on her mouth, she was unashamed to let her mind drift to what they might be able to do for her elsewhere. All in good time.

 

And then Regina’s hands were on her breasts again, eagerly exploring. She tweaked a nipple and Emma quaked above her. Regina’s teeth had wandered to her earlobe as she continued to squeeze and kneed, and Emma was quickly realizing this woman would be the end of her. But if she was going to be reduced to a quivering mess, she wasn’t going alone.

 

She brought a hand up to caress Regina’s breast, and when she squeezed a dark, already-pebbly nipple, Regina writhed beneath her. _Okay, so this is what I’m doing with the rest of my life_ , she thought at the feel and sight of Regina getting so wound up.

 

Emma slid slowly downward, trailing wet kisses along Regina’s collarbone and sternum until she was able to circle her left breast with her tongue. Regina hissed and gripped Emma’s upper arm, the one whose hand was still teasing the other nipple. Emma lapped at the left one a couple more times before taking it into her mouth. She sucked gently at first, which elicited a soft hum. Remembering her promise from the porch, she applied a little more pressure at a time until she got an open-mouthed moan from Regina. So that’s how hard she liked it — Emma was onboard with that. She experimented with a nip and earned a healthy scratch up her back. Her underwear was getting more and more soaked by the second.

 

After she’d paid equal respect to the other side and enjoyed having her hair tugged gently in the process, she continued her path downward, tonguing Regina’s navel briefly. Emma happily discovered Regina did indeed have a little trail of hair traveling ever downward beyond that, and she spent a fair amount of time nipping and kissing the area. From the way Regina squirmed and panted, she found it as sensitive as Emma did. But she was eager to move on, to reach up and grasp Regina’s hips and press firmly into the bones with the heels of her hands. Hips were a particular weakness of hers, with both luscious curves and sharp definition. This was one of the things she had dreamed about countless times, getting to feel Regina’s beneath her hands. Adjusting Regina’s panties slightly, she moved to take a hip bone in her teeth, and groaned heavily when Regina lifted it in response. She sucked and nibbled until a deep mark had formed, which she then soothed with a few delicate licks.

 

“Emma.” Regina’s voice was part desperation, part appreciation, and all insanely hot. Regina hooked her thumbs into her panties, lifted her hips and slid them off. She placed her feet back on the bed on either side of Emma with her knees slightly bent, and Emma brushed sweet kisses along her inner thigh. Sheets bunched in fists around her, and Emma’s heart raced in just as much anticipation. She placed her cheek gently against Regina’s thigh and took a moment to relish the silky feel of it, softer than she could have ever expected.

 

“Emma—” Regina began before a loud “ _fuck_ ” as Emma’s tongue slipped over her for the first time. Smiling, Emma dipped her tongue in and was almost immediately drunk on the scent and taste and feel of Regina. She swiped her tongue through her folds a few more times before shifting up to concentrate on Regina’s clit, circling and flicking and learning what she responded to (which was mostly via more staccato swearing and grunted “yes”es). When hips began thrusting up toward her, Emma carefully slipped two fingers in to give Regina what she needed. God, Emma was nearly overcome with the sensation of being inside Regina, surrounded by her, and she poured as much love as she could into every last move she made. She reached up and found Regina’s hand to squeeze before gripping her hip for better purchase. She picked up a steady rhythm, and when she hooked her fingers up slightly and applied just the right amount of pressure with her tongue, she heard her name echo around the room as Regina’s walls clenched around her. She continued her pace, easing up with her tongue just slightly as Regina panted somewhere above her. When she sucked Regina’s clit up into her mouth, a foot picked up and slammed into the mattress next her and Regina rode out a second wave.

 

This time, Emma eased up to allow her to come down, then delicately removed her fingers. She turned to press a warm kiss to Regina’s thigh before sliding back up to splay herself half on top of her. Sweat glistened across Regina’s chest as it rose and fell heavily, and Emma traced small lines between Regina’s breasts as her breaths began to even out. Then Regina’s fingers were in her hair and she was being pulled in for a kiss. Their tongues mingled, and Emma wondered how Regina felt about tasting herself there. It was soon pretty clear that she was into it if the enthusiastic way she sucked and licked at Emma’s lip was any indication. Emma pulled back to look into her eyes, and Regina reached up to tuck hair behind Emma’s ear. A slow, blissful grin spread across her face.

 

“You are so fucking beautiful,” Emma said.

 

“No one’s ever made me feel that way. Beautiful,” Regina said. “Not until now.”

 

“It’s my job to make sure you never stop feeling it,” said Emma, placing a small kiss on Regina’s chest. They lay there quietly for a moment, Regina running fingers through Emma’s hair. Desire still thrummed in Emma’s core, but she was content just to feel the warmth of the woman beneath her.

 

Except that woman promptly rolled her over, placed her lips against Emma’s ear and whispered, “Your turn.” Emma shuddered beneath her from head to toe.

 

Regina kissed her softly and looked her in the eye. “I’ve never done this before with a woman,” she said, and though she looked completely confident, Emma didn’t miss the faintest waver in her voice. It sounded a bit like a question instead of a statement.

 

“You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to,” Emma assured her.

 

“Oh I want to,” Regina said matter-of-factly. “I just don’t want to disappoint you with my… learning curve.”

 

“First of all, I doubt there’s anything you’ve ever tried that you weren’t almost immediately perfect at,” Emma said with a loving smirk. Regina tilted her head and pursed her lips. “But more importantly,” she continued, “being with you could never be a disappointment. It’s a gift. And whatever you do will be uniquely you, and that’s what I want.” Regina’s eyes brightened at that, and for a moment they just held each other’s gaze.

 

“But if it’ll make you feel better,” Emma grinned cheekily, “I’m happy to provide all the curves you need to learn.”

 

Regina pursed her lips again in what looked to be an attempt to not smile.

 

“No really, as long as you need to feel it out, I’m here for you,” Emma said, earning a playful slap on the arm.

 

“Until you can put your finger on it—” and Regina was kissing her fiercely. Emma didn’t care if it was an effort to shut her up, she still got to kiss Regina. She ran her fingers up Regina’s sides, lingering by her breasts. Regina lifted up enough to give her access, which Emma gladly took advantage of. Regina in turn propped her weight on one elbow and used the other hand to palm Emma’s breast, rolling the nipple between her thumb and forefinger. The heat returned full-force between Emma’s legs, and she squeezed her thighs together for any bit of relief she could get.

 

Regina must have felt her squirming and sat back. “How rude of me,” she purred. “Let’s get you out of these.” Emma nodded vehemently as Regina slid her fingers underneath the waistband of Emma’s panties. With a wicked gleam in her eye, she pulled them down over Emma’s legs at a painstakingly slow pace and casually tossed them aside.

 

“Now where were we,” she murmured, repositioning herself above Emma just as before. Emma was about to whine when she felt her nipple being sucked into a warm mouth and instead let out an embarrassing whimper. Regina suckled firmly, and Emma did her best not to roll wildly beneath her. She didn’t know how, and she didn’t care, but the feeling on every nerve ending was more intense than she’d ever experienced.

 

She felt a hand snake down her belly, all while Regina’s mouth was still on her, and then fingers raked tentatively through fine curls. She exhaled a breath she didn’t realize she was holding as a fingertip dipped just inside her.

 

“Oh,” Regina lifted up to say in faint surprise. “You’re so wet...”

 

“Uh-huh,” Emma stuttered, because Regina was now sweeping two fingers lightly around her entrance. Emma’s skin was on fire from the teasing motion, but it was an intoxicating heat.

 

Then Regina’s fingers were suddenly gone, and Emma ached from their absence until she looked up to see Regina take her middle finger slowly into her mouth, a mix of desire and curiosity crossing her features. Emma nearly blacked out at the sight.

 

“Aren’t you a treat to behold?” Regina’s voice was silky, and how could she sound so goddamn regal and dirty all at the same time? Her hand found its way back to Emma, and this time Emma moaned freely as she felt a finger slide fully inside her. The fact that it was Regina’s finger, and that Regina was still hovering over her, staring into her face with all the love in the world, was almost enough to make her come right then.

 

Regina quickly added a second finger, and between her own explorations and a little guidance from Emma, she was able to find the right positions and pacing that Emma deemed “ _sogoodsogoodsogood_.” Then she did something with her thumb that sent a jolt through Emma and had her screaming. So she did it again.

 

Afterward, Regina’s smile could have melted the sun.

 

As they lay there, Emma curled into Regina’s side with her arm resting on her chest, Emma lifted her head to look at Regina. “Did you use magic?” Regina raised a brow. “I mean, have we been using magic to… heighten things?”

 

Regina chuckled and laced their fingers together. “It’s possible,” she said thoughtfully. “But I don’t think so. I didn’t feel it flowing through me. Did you?”

 

“No,” Emma said after thinking a moment. “So that was just us, then?”

 

Regina kissed her hand. “Just us.”


	6. The doors are open

Emma sighed contentedly over her mug of coffee, her feet curled under her on Regina’s sofa. Regina had offered her a pair of her own pajamas to wear, purely for selfish reasons, because Regina suspected seeing Emma wearing anything of hers would be positively delectable. She was right. Besides, Emma had rejected the bottoms and was currently just wearing underwear (also Regina’s) and the loose-fitting button-down top that showed off a fair amount of shoulder.

 

Regina, on the other end of the couch, had barely had any of her own coffee because she was too busy staring.

 

“You can come over here now, you know. No need to gape from afar anymore,” Emma teased.

 

“I do not _gape_ ,” Regina huffed indignantly, giving Emma’s thigh a soft shove with her foot. Emma grabbed it and pulled it into her lap. Regina placed her other one beside it without a second thought.

 

“It might be a good idea to bake something for David this week,” Emma mused. At Regina’s raised eyebrow, she added, “For taking my shift today.”

 

Regina’s lips curled up. It was the one thing Emma had forgotten in all her planning. Regina had been lazily kissing her way across Emma’s ribs early this morning when Emma had suddenly yelled, “Shit!” and sprung out of bed.

 

Regina barely had time to be hurt before she heard Emma frantically speaking into her phone, “Dad? Are you able to get down to the station?”

 

Now, Regina took a sip of her coffee and said, “I’m happy to make him a cake as long as I can write ‘Thanks for letting me defile your daughter’ in icing.”

 

Emma rolled her eyes with a grin. “Only if you doodle a pair of handcuffs on there for good measure.”

 

It would be an accurate message (cuffs aside). Once Emma returned to bed, she hadn’t left again for hours, most of which were not spent sleeping. Regina smiled to herself, noting the beginnings of soreness in her thighs.

 

Regina had taken a personal day, which was in itself a first. But the fact that she was sitting on her couch in PJs at 2:30 in the afternoon was unheard of. Emma had suggested they have a lazy afternoon, which apparently involved eschewing real clothes. Regina had narrowed her eyes at the puppydog ones aimed back at her, and the next thing she knew she was handing over her favorite sleep shirt. Emma had briefly snacked sometime mid-morning, but they didn’t really make it downstairs to have breakfast for lunch until about 1 and had been lounging ever since.

 

“If someone had told me a week ago I’d be this happy now, I would have told them to fuck off,” Emma said, placing her now-empty mug on the side table.

 

“Well it wouldn’t have been me, because a week ago you weren’t speaking to me,” Regina pointed out with no trace of animosity or hurt.

 

“Yeah, but I made it up to you by Friday,” Emma said, not sounding entirely sure of herself.

 

Regina nodded. “You did,” she confirmed. “Although actually… you haven’t completely fulfilled your promise.”

 

“What?” Emma looked genuinely confused. Regina smiled and purposefully wiggled her feet in Emma’s lap.

 

“Oh!” Emma’s warm hands wrapped around her feet and a smile crept across Regina’s lips. “Sorry, I uh, guess I skipped a step last night.”

 

“I’ll allow you to make it up to me,” Regina said, and how was it that things she used to say when people were cowering before her now sounded so giddy and light? If she was losing her touch, she found she didn’t care.

 

“It would be an honor, Your Majesty.” Emma took Regina’s right foot and began working her thumbs up the underside. Regina momentarily closed her eyes and dipped her head back, sighing. “So you’re not ticklish, then,” Emma commented.

 

“Not there,” Regina answered with a smirk. She looked up to see Emma’s eyebrows raised. Her surprise, however, was quickly replaced by something far more dangerous.

 

“Challenge accepted,” she replied with a devilish gleam in her eye. “Another time.”

 

“I look forward to it,” Regina said as Emma resumed working on her foot. Her touch was firm but soothing, and Regina felt relaxed in a way she had long ago given up on finding with another person.

 

When Emma’s fingers slid up her calves, pushing up the leg of her pajama pants, a shiver went up Regina’s spine. Emma lightly traced back down her leg, then massaged upward. Regina felt fingernails curl at the back of her knees, creating a stir in her belly. She looked up at Emma and was met with eyes that must have been as hooded as her own.

 

Regina cleared her throat. “I seem to recall something about feeling your tongue in that spot,” she murmured.

 

“Hmm, I may have to take another I-owe-you…” A smile spread across Emma’s lips as she set Regina’s leg aside, and went to crawl on top of her.

 

That was the moment the front door opened with a bang, and Henry’s voice yelled “Moms? Everybody decent?” He laughed as he rounded the corner, and Regina would normally have scolded him for such a risque joke. She would have, that is, if she weren’t busy trying to magic pants onto Emma while Emma was hurling herself off of her and onto the floor. It took Regina longer than she would have liked to hit her moving target, and she wasn’t sure exactly what Henry had seen.

 

“Hey kid,” Emma said from a heap on the floor. “Good day at school?”

 

He looked back and forth between them, his forehead wrinkling. “Um, yeah?” he mumbled.

 

“That’s great, sweetheart,” Regina said in a pitch none of them had heard before.

 

“Yeah!” Emma blurted out with such enthusiasm that she clearly surprised herself. At Henry’s dumbfounded look, she shrugged and looked at him helplessly. A smile crept onto his face and they burst out laughing in unison. Regina could not have been less comfortable with her son walking in on them in such a state (although Emma would later point out it could have been much worse), but she inexplicably felt giggles bubbling up from within her.

 

“Are you guys always gonna be this weird now?” Henry asked, but his bright eyes betrayed his feigned disgust.

 

Emma reached over and pulled him to the ground, ruffling his hair and hugging him forcefully as he squirmed. He was getting big enough that she could barely keep him contained. “Hey, you were the mastermind,” she said. “Now you have to live with what you created.”

 

He wrestled away from Emma’s grasp and stood up. “Fine,” he huffed, failing to look anything but thrilled. “But maybe I don’t have to see everything that goes into happily ever after, okay?”

 

Emma winked up at Regina, and as she glanced between the loves of her life, Regina felt a lump rising in her throat.

 

“Deal,” she said, and two faces beamed back at her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this mostly because the song wouldn't get out of my head, like it really needed to go with the other one. Don't know if I did it justice, but thanks for continuing down the rabbit hole with me!


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